Cigar-pressing method

ABSTRACT

A method for selecting a predetermined quantity of cigars from a moving production belt, moving the cigars as a body into a press and applying therein sequentially lateral pressure and vertical pressure accompanied by heat and, thereafter, moving the pressed cigars into an accumulator for a predetermined period while simultaneously piercing the ends, while like quantities of cigars are simultaneously removed from the accumulator.

United States Patent Inventors Patrick W. Shellenberg;

Edward W. Reed; James L. McLaughlin, all of Richmond, Va.

June 18, 1969 Oct. 5, 1971 The American Tobacco Company New York, N.Y.

Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee CIGAR-PRESSING METHOD 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 131/79, 131/21 R, 131/80, l3ll8l R, 131/82, 131/83 A, 131 107 Int. Cl A24c 01/18, A24c 01/32, A240 Ol/44 Field of Search 131/79, 80,

4 Mill/m [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 947,871 2/l9l0 Tybergetal l3l/83AUX 3,138,164 6/1964 Respess l3l/79X l63,272 5/1875 Smith 131/86 883,156 3/1908 Woerner l3l/l07 2,370,791 3/l945 Granstedt l3 l/l07 3,266,498 8/1966 Oppenheimer et al. 13 H7) X Primary Examiner-Samuel Koren Assistant Examiner.l. F. Pitrelli Alt0rney-Pennie, Edmonds, Morton, Taylor & Adams ABSTRACT: A method for selecting a predetermined quantity of cigars from a moving production belt, moving the cigars as a body into a press and applying therein sequentially lateral pressure and vertical pressure accompanied by heat and, thereafter, moving the pressed cigars into an accumulator for a predetermined period while simultaneously piercing the ends, while like quantities of cigars are simultaneously removed from the accumulator.

PATENTEDDBT m 3.616.254

SHEET 1 OF 2 0 46b llllllilm 2| INVENTORS PATRICK W. SHELLENBERG EDWARD W. REED JAMES L.Mc LAUGHLIN ATTORNEYS CIGAR-PRESSING METHOD FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to cigarmaking methods and, more particularly, to a production method for pressing cigars and for the handling and treatment of cigars immediately before, during and immediately after such pressing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is customary in cigarmaking, after cigars have been rolled, to press individual cigars in separate molds, thereby giving them a somewhat rectilinear shape prior to packaging. According to prior techniques, much time and individual handling has been necessary in loading and unloading the cigars individually from their respective molds. It has been necessary, for example, to interrupt continuous production such as might otherwise be possible if the cigar-pressing operation were integrated within an overall cigar-manufacturing process.

It is the primary and underlying purpose of the present invention to accomplish by the use of a mass production technique, a uniform and superior batch pressing of cigars. It is furthermore an important object of the present invention to provide a method for integrating batch pressing of cigars in an overall production system whereby the cigars are uniformly heat pressed and thereafter respective batches are cooled to set the pressed shape in sequence.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a method is disclosed for selecting a predetermined number of cigars (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a batch) while the cigars are arranged on a moving conveyor in side by side relation with the ends thereof in alignment. Sensing means are provided for determining when a sufficient number of cigars have passed along the conveyor to form a batch. When such a select number have been determined, means are provided for moving the batch laterally from the conveyor into a press which is adapted to apply heat as well as pressure. The press is equipped to exert first a lateral compression upon the batch of cigars and vertical freedom to an extent is provided above the cigars during such lateral compression. Immediately thereafter, upper and lower platens of the press compress the cigars in a direction perpendicular to the lateral compression until compression of individual cigars to a rectilinear form is complete. After compression the batch is moved from the press into an accumulator through which cool dry air is passed to set the shape of the cigars. During movement of the batch into the accumulator, the aligned ends of the cigars are pierced. The accumulator holds a plurality of stacked batches and simultaneously upon the introduction of one batch therein, a preceding batch is removed for packaging. Consequently, each batch remains for a precise period in the accumulator.

In order to understand the invention more fully and to appreciate its advantages over prior methods and apparatus, attention is invited to the following detailed description and to the accompanying drawing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is an overall plan view showing the apparatus for performing the method of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 taken along lines 22; and

FIG. 3 is a side view in perspective of the final conveying portions of the apparatus of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawing and particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, reference number indicates generally a conveyor having a plurality of shaft-mounted pulleys lla,llb,llc,and l2a,12b,l

2c,respectively, at each end. The shaft running through pulleys 11a, etc. is power driven by means of a chain drive 13. Interconnecting respective of the pulleys Ila and l2a,etc. are belts 14a, 14b and 140. A

A plurality of cigars are fed by a means not shown onto the conveyor 10 with the ends of the cigars being urged into alignment by guides 16a and 16b. The direction of movement of the cigars by the conveyor is indicated by the arrow As shown, the cigars will be carried by the conveyor 10 in close side-by-side relation to a position (first station) opposite a bar actuator 17. The actuator 17 is controlled in its reciprocal movement (shown by the double-ended arrow) by the sensing means 18, whose function is to count a predetermined number of cigars as these are moved to a position immediately adjacent to the actuator 17. For purposes of this description the predetermined number determined by the sensing means I8 will sometimes be referred to as a batch.

Accordingly, when a batch of cigars has passed beneath the sensing means 18 to a position as shown in FIG. 1, the actuator 17 will be energized to move the batch simultaneously transversely with respect to the conveyor 10 and along the respective axes of the cigars to a second station or press 20. Referring to FIG. 2, it will be seen that immediately adjacent to the conveyor 10 is the press 20. The press 20 comprises a frame structure and mounted to top crossmembers thereof is a motor 21 for driving a screw 22. The screw in turn is attached to the header bar 23 which mounts through opposite ends thereof shafts 24 and 24'. Upper and lower platens 25 and 25' are held between enlarged-diameter sections 24a, 24b and 24a, 24b, so that the platens are movable by the screw 22. The platens 25, 25 are each connected to electrical heating pads 26, 26.

Intermediate the ends of each platen 25, 25' are lateral press rods 27, 27, each of which is movable reciprocally by pins 28, 28' carried by rollers 29, 29'. The rollers travel within a channel formed by rods 30, 31 at the left of the drawing and 32, 33 at the right. Springs 35, 36 are mounted between the ends of platens 25, 25' and normally tend to urge the platens away from each other for a reason which will be explained.

It will be seen that the platens 25 and 25' at the upper end of the travel permitted by rollers 29, 29' are positioned at the same level as the conveyor 10. Consequently, actuation of the platens to move them to a lower position will begin only after the actuator 17 has moved an entire batch of cigars between the platens. During such movement the space provided between platens is somewhat greater than the height of the cigars. Immediately after the cigars have been moved between the platens 25, 25' the motor 21 will be energized driving the screw 22 to urge the platens downwardly.

It will be seen with reference to FIG. 2 that as screw 22 lowers the platens below an approximate midpoint position, the rollers 29, 29' begin to approach each other by reason of their travel in inwardly inclined channel sections of the members 30, 31 and 32, 33. Such movement of the rollers forces the press rods 27 and 27' toward each other and thus 'compresses the batch of cigars laterally. During such pressing action, the cigars have room to expand vertically, since the springs 35 and 36 maintain the aforementioned gap between the platens. When the platens have been lowered so that thebottom platen 25' touches the base plate 37, the latter effectively acts as a stop and only further movement of the upper platen 25 is permitted. Platen 25 will continue to be forced down to compress the batch vertically until the platen 25 seats against press rods 27 and 27. During vertical compression, the cigars, which have already been laterally compressed, will be pressed flat along the top and bottom surfaces, and heat is applied thereto, thereby resulting in a rectilinear shape being given to the cigars.

Referring again to FIG. I, after the cigars have been completely pressed and while the platens 25, 25' are at their lowermost position, the motor 21 will be caused to reverse (by means not shown). Immediately thereafter the upper platen 25 will begin to move upwardly while platen 25' under the opposing influence of springs 35 and 36 will remain in its lowermost position. At precisely this instant, a second bar actuator 38 will move the newly pressed batch of cigars laterally into an accumulator 39 or third station.

The function of the accumulator is to provide cooling and drying of the cigars immediately following pressing of the cigars, thus causing the press to set or become permanent.

As best seen in FIG. 3, the accumulator 39 has an upper retaining plate 40 which may be lifted or lowered by rods 41 and 42 connected to actuators 43, 44. The side 45 of the accumulator 39 opposite to the press forms an abutment surface for each batch of cigars as it is moved laterally into the accumulator. Consequently, the bar actuator 38 is conveniently equipped with a plurality of individual cigar piercing or tipping means 46a, 46b, etc. which operate to pierce the ends of each of the individual cigars as they are simultaneously moved as a batch into the accumulator and abut side 45 thereof. The side 45 of the accumulator is hinged at 50 to permit the lowering of the side and access to the interior when desired. A latch 51 is provided to hold the side 45 in its vertical position.

The plate 40 will be raised during movement of each new batch into the accumulator to form the top tier or row thereof and then lowered to secure the cigars within the accumulator. Furthermore, the lowermost row of cigars will be moved as a batch laterally by a third bar actuator 47 as each new batch is transferred into the accumulator. Each batch of cigars as it is removed is then taken by a conveyor 47' to a packaging station. While in the accumulator, forced cool dry air is blown through the tiered mass of cigars consisting of, say, eight rows in all, by means of the inlet duct 48 and outlet duct 49. Thus, the delay incident upon the respective batches of cigars proceeding from upper through the lowermost tiers constitutes a cycle or timed period during which the pressed rectilinear shape of each cigar becomes set.

In accordance with the above description, it can be seen that the present invention provides a method and apparatus for molding respective batches of cigars which readily adapts to mass production techniques. Furthermore, the present method and apparatus provides for the sequential handling of each batch in a final curing cycle which provides greater uniformity than heretofore possible.

It will be appreciated that the above description relates to a particular embodiment of the invention and is therefore merely representative. Accordingly, in order fully to appreciate the spirit and scope of the invention, reference should be made to the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A method of batch-pressing cigars comprising moving a plurality of cigars in side-by-side alignment to a first station, selecting a predetermined number of said cigars and moving said number as a batch simultaneously and axially with respect to said cigars into a second station, compressing said cigars simultaneously in a lateral direction toward the center of said batch, immediately thereafter compressing said cigars perpendicular to said lateral direction while applying heat thereto in order to establish a pressed shape to the cigars in said batch, moving said batch to a third station while simultaneously piercing the ends of the heated cigars in said batch, and cooling said pierced batch under compression to set the aforesaid pressed shape of said cigars.

2. The method according to claim I in which the cigars are stacked in vertical tiers in said third station, a plurality of rows are located in said station and the introduction of a newly pressed row into the station is accompanied by the extraction therefrom of the lowermost of said rows, said lowermost row being moved thereafter to a final receiving and packaging station. 

1. A method of batch-pressing cigars comprising moving a plurality of cigars in side-by-side alignment to a first station, selecting a predetermined number of said cigars and moving said number as a batch simultaneously and axially with respect to said cigars into a second station, compressing said cigars simultaneously in a lateral direction toward the center of said batch, immediately thereafter compressing said cigars perpendicular to said lateral direction while applying heat thereto in order to establish a pressed shape to the cigars in said batch, moving said batch to a third station while simultaneously piercing the ends of the heated cigars in said batch, and cooling said pierced batch under compression to set the aforesaid pressed shape of said cigars.
 2. The method according to claim 1 in which the cigars are stacked in vertical tiers in said third station, a plurality of rows are located in said station and the introduction of a newly pressed row into the station is accompanied by the extraction therefrom of the lowermost of said rows, said lowermost row being moved thereafter to a final receiving and packaging station. 